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Nov. 15, 1927. 1,648,977

v. wElDNER SIGN Filed March l5. 1926 xNvEyToR Vctw Pfad/zelf SIBY.S u

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

VICTOR WEIDNER. OF FORT ASHINGTGN.

l,ti48,97

PATENT OFFICE.

E'vV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO VIKING :PROD- UCTS CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGN.

Application filed March 15, 1926. Serial No. 94,878.

An object'of the present invention is to provide a sign of simple and inexpensive structure which will present a neat and highly distinctive appearance..

A further object of the invention is to provide, a sign wherein a surface, bearing sign characters, is covered by a glass plate, the saidplate being adapted to act upon the light rays which it receives in a manner to create a very deiinite illusion that the sign characters and ftheir surrounding field have been bpo'ught forward to Vthe front face of the ate.'A

p. lOther objects will appear as the following description is read in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig.` 1 is a front view of the sign, parts being broken away to show the inner structure;

Fig. 2 an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 a fragmentary front face view of the glass plate;

Fig. 4 a greatly enlarged fragmentary secr tional view of the glass plate; and

Figs. 5 and 6 sectional views showing two modifications of the invention.

Referring to the parts by numerals, l designates a sheet of opaque material formed at the center of its area with a plurality of stencil openings 2 defining sign characters. Disposed against the rear face of the sheet 1 is a backing plate This plate entirely covers the rear face of the sheet and is visible through the stencil openings. A glass plate 4c is placed over the front face of sheet l and covers its entire area includingthe stencil openings. The front and back plates are held in close contact with the opposite faces of the stencil plate by a frame 5 which extends around their edges.

The material and color of the opaque sten cil sheet 1 and of the backing plate 3 arc chosen to produce a desired effect. It has been found in practice that a very beautiful effect is obtained by the use of a bronze paper stencil incombination with a plate 3 of white material such as white glass or porcelain. This plate, appearing through thi` stencil openings, contrasts strikingly with the bronze field. The effect produced by this choice of materials and colors is indi cated Fig. l, ef the drawings. The plats ii may be transparent, opaque, or slightly translucent, depending upon the effect de-- sired.

The glass front plate 4 is formed with a smooth rear face 6 which closely contacts tho sheet l. The front face of the plate is made slightly rough over its entire area as at 7. This roughness isin the form of small raised irregularities or bosses as indicated in Fig. 3 and in the sectional views. As shown in Fig. 4, the irregularities or bosses are of very slight height; are smooth and somewhatl flattened; and are separated by irregular flat surfaces. The areas of the bosses and of the flat surfaces between them are large in comparison with the height of the bosses. A roughened surface of this character causes the required amount of light diffusion without materially reducing the transparency of the glass. In Fig. 3 the bosses are represented as appearing distinctly outlined upon the face of the plate in order to show their form and distribution. Actually the presence of the bosses is only faintly suggested when the plate is viewed. The roughened surface of the plate is preferably produced by covering the surface of the plate with very small pebbles irregular as to shape and size and then flowing hydrofluoric acid between the pebbles. Where the pebbles rest the surface is protected from the acid, and only suiiicient acid is used to cover the pebbles around their lower por tions. The pebbles and the acid are allowed to remain on the glass sheet a predetermined time and are then washed off. This produces infinitesimal raised irregularities which are comparatively smooth and flat on top and separated by depressed substantially flat irregular areas. The areas of the raised irregularities will var v with the size of the pebbles, the larger pebbles producing flattoppe'd irregularities of comparatively large areay and the smaller pebblesproducing irregularities ot' smaller area. Surrounding all of the irreguarities are Slightly depressed portions. The height. of the irregularities is infinitesimal and the areas aro large compared to their height. These irregularities do not materially reduce the transparency of the glass when the glass is directly .in cona tact with the stencil sheet. t

The front surface of the plate is' roughened tor the purpose of creating a per :tect illusion that the sign characters and their surroundingrlield are brought 'tor-ifard flush with the vtrent tace oit the glass, so that While the glass gives a finished and distinctive appearance to the presence is not betrayed.

Tie retiractinpgr effect ot the upon the light rays which pass troni the stencil sheet l out through the e Lends to create the illusion that sai l s s been advanced to the front tace et ie plate. l`he rough surtace 2' oi the plate destroys the luster ot the glass. rlfhis luster is unnatural to the sign sheet l bacltot the plate and it would theretore betray the presence ot the glass estending over The rough surface also prevents the forming ot specular reflections ot objects located in iront of the s gn. The presence oi" these reflections 'would cause the glass plate to appear as a niirror and tend to niaslr the sig-n characters and their surrounding held. Another impor t ct et the rough surface is the n asl; rains ot dust or smears upon the trout 'face ot the plate. '.llhese are very conspicuous upon a smooth, polished surface and would therefore give array the presence ot the toiuvardly oltset tace the glass it the plate were not roughened. The sinall bosses tend to render the dirt invisible or inconspicuous so that it Will not -etray the presence ot the glass. rl` he bosses themselves7 when visible at all7 do not appear to be torwardly oiiiset troni the sign characters, owing; to the tact that they are distributed over the `entire area ot the surtace. The light-ditl'using effect ot the bosses., in additioin tends to lnfeal; up the sinall shadows cast upon the back plate 3 by the edges olf the sign sheet l Which outline the stencil openinf rl`he bosses tend to slightly shade .the areas ot the characters outlined upon the bach plate f3 bythe stencil and thus inaslr or breek up the shadows around the edges ot the characters. They also, by their ligiht-ditlusing effect. mask the thickness ot the sheet l. around the edges ot the characters so that the objectionable stencil etlect is destroyed.

The effect produced by the particular sign described is that ot a bronze plate provided with tluslu inlaid, White characters. The characters and their siurounding field pear to occupy the position ot the trout tace oit the glass, and any slight roughness sue gested by the inoossed surface, When viewed at certain angles, appea to he directly upon the surface ot the bronze plate. The sheet l is preferably ot dark color as it has been tound that a dark color at the rear ot the glass plate tenes to niaslr the small shadows cast upon thecharact-er lield by the embossed surface.

The embossed surtace is adapted to produce the results set 'forth and still admit Lee-sew aniple light to render the sien characters distinctly visible by solely the ht which they receive troni the liront thrn h the glass plate. YThe roughness ot the surface is not sutiiciently line or close to convey the sugges tion ot ground glass, and the reduction in the transparency egt the is very sligl'it.

ln lrlig. is shown a slight lrnodilication ont the invention. t snovvn as il character o is niounted upon the front tace ot an opaque l'ield sheet and 'in contact with the glass plate. This character inay be applied to the sheet 9 in any suitable or desired manner as by paintingv or ele-etroplatin it thereon, or by torining it ot separate sheet of material and pasting; itin place.

ln Fig. 5 is shown another inodilication, wherein a character is delined upon a field sheet l0 by Yforming surroui'iding field upon the sheet in any suitable manner as by painting or electro-plating.

The invention is obviously susceptible ot many nioditications to produce dillf'erent sign etl'ects. l, therefore, do not Wish to be liinited to the precise. structures and arrangenients shown and described except as delined in the appended claiins.

ll'ilhat l claim is:

l. it sign comprising;` a colored opaque stencil sheet delining a sign character; a backing plate ot lighter color than the stencil sheet disposed against the rearlace ot said sheet and exposed tlufough the stl. cil; and a glass plate disposed over the 'f 'tace ot' said stencil sheet with its haelt tace in contact therewith and ttorrned s ooth and clear at its baci; tace and at its trout. tace with ,a multiplicity ot irregularly spaced raise-d irregularities extending` over the character and its Vtield and separated by lcpressed irregular areas upon said trout lace, the said raised irregularities being;u ot iutinitcsiinal height7 smooth nand substaitially 'dat on top, ot' large area` cmnpared to their height, and substantially ind .ecrnihle indiiidually7 ivherebif' said irregularly embossed 'lace will adniit sui'licicnt light lr ntlie trout to render the lield and character distinctlj.' risible and will reduce the luster ot the ,fria-'- plate and cause the character and lield to appear substantially at the trout tace thereof.

2. A sign comprising a stencil sheet de Ylining' a sign character; a bachingr plate disposed against the rear Vtace ot said ysiii-mul sheet and exposed through the .s encil: and a clear transparent gl plate d, "posed over the tront- 'lace ot said stencil sheet and iu, direct contact therewith and tor-ined smooth and clear at one of its faces mul at its, other tace with a n'iultiplicity oit raised irregulari tiesl extending over the character and its lield, the said irregularities heinev ot intiui-V tesinial height. smooth and clear and substantially flat on top, ot large area compared to lll) lill

their height. and substantially indiscernible individually, whereby said irregularities will admit sufficient light from the front to render the field and character distinctly visible and will reduce the luster ot' the front of the glass plate and cause the character and fleld to appear substantiallyv at the said front face.

3. A sign comprising' means forming a sign character and a surrounding field: and al clear transparent glass plate disposed over the front 'face of said sign means and in direct contact therewith and formed smooth and clear at its back face and at its front face with a. multiplicity of irregularly spaced minute irregularities ot' infinitesimal height an-d separated by substantially flat depressed irregular areas. said raised irregularities being of large a rea compared to their height, and substantially indiscernible individually, whereby said irregularities will admit sufficient light from the front to render the field and character distinctly visible. and will reduce the luster of the front ot' the glass plate and cause the character and field to appear substantially at the said front face.

t. A sign comprising a stencil sheet defining a sign character; a backing plate disposed against the rear 'face of said stencil sheet and exposed through the stencil; and a clear transparent glass plate disposed over the front face of said stencil sheet and in direct contact therewith and formed at one of its faces with a multiplicity of raised ir regularities extending over the character and its field, the said irregularities being of infinitesimal height, smooth and clear and substantially flat on top, et' large area co1n pared to their height, and substantially in` discernible individually, whereby said irregularities will admit sufficient light from the front to render the field and character distinctly visible and will reduce the luster of the front of the glass plate and slightly break up the lines o't the stencil and destroy the effect ot the shadows around thc edges of said characters. i

5. A sign comprising a thin stencil sheet defining a sign character and a field; a backing plate disposed against the rear face ot said stencil sheet and exposed through the stencil.: and a clear transparent glass plate disposed over the front face of said stencil sheet and in direct contact therewith and formed at one of its faces with a multiplien ity of raised irregularities ext-ending over the character and its field, the said irregularities being of infinitesimal height, smooth and clear and of large area. compared to their height, and substantially indiscernihle individually. whereby said irregularities will admit sufficient light from the front to render the field and character distinctly Visible and break up the minute shadows around the edges of the cut-out character and soften or slightly blur the cut line of the stencil.

6. A sign comprising an opaque stencil sheet defining a sign character: a .white translucent backing plate disposed against the rear face of the sheet and exposed through the stencil opening: and a clear transparent glass plate disposed over the front face of the stencil sheet and. in direct contact therewith and formed at its front face with a multiplicity of irregularly spaced minute irregularities ot' infinitesimal height and of large area compared to their height and separated by substantially flat depressed irregular areas, said raised irregularities being substantially indiscernible individually, whereby said irregularities will admit sufficient light from the front to render the stencil field and character distinctly risible, and will reduce the luster of t-he front of the ,glass plate and break up the shadows around the edges of the cut-out character and cause the character and eld to appear substantially at the said front face.

7. A sign comprising means forming a sign character having thin edges and a surrounding field; and a clear transparent glass plate disposed over the front face of said sign means and in direct Contact therewith and formed at one of its faces with a multiplicity of irregularly spaced minute irregularities of infinitesimal height and of large area. compared to their height and separated by substantially fiat depressed irregular areas, said raised irregularities being substantially indiseernible individually, where by said irregularities will admit sufficient light `from the `front to render the field and character distinctly visible and break up the minute shadows around the edges ot' the character and cause the character and field to appear substantially at the said front tace.

S. A sign comprising a flat sign character and a flat surrounding field; and a plate of transparent glass disposed over the front. face of said sign means in directl contact therewith and formed at its t'ront tace with a multiplicity of small` spaced, smooth areas i extending over the character and Held and displaced, in the direction of the glass thickness, an infinitesimal distance from the sur rounding surface of said face, the size of each area being great in comparison with its displacement. `from said surrounding surface and the multiplicity of areas being suhstantially indiscernible individually` whereby said areas will admit sufficient light from the front to render the field and character distinctly visible and will reduce the luster of the front face of the glass plate and cause the character and field to appear substantially at said face.

9. A sign comprising an opaque stencil 4'; nesso?? y sheet defining a sign character; a Wliite translucent backing plate disposed against the rear face of the sheet and exposed through the stencil opening; and a plate ot transparent glass disposed over the front face of said sign means in direct contact therewith and formed at its front :tace with a" multiplicity of small, spaced, smooth areas extending over tlre character and lield and displaced, in the direction of the glass thickness, an inlinitesiinal distance ronl the surrounding surface of said lace, 'the size of each area being great in comparison with. its displacement from said surrounding surface and the multiplicity oareas being` substantially indiscernble individually, whereby said areas will adniit sufficient liglitfrom the 'ront to render the iield and cliar acter distinctly Visible and Will reduce the luster of the iront 'face of 'die glass plate, break' up the shadows around the edges oit the cut-out character, and cause the character and lield to apgear substantially at said face.

In testimony whereof hereunto aliix my signature.

'Vieron WEIDNER. 

